This invention broadly pertains to folding furniture, and more particularly to tables having legs that fold compactly underneath the tabletop.
Folding tables are widely used and derive their primary benefit from the relative ease with which they can be handled and stored when in the folded condition. A typical folding table leg is described in the patent to Weagle, U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,567. Folding tables of this type do not include a cross brace that provides fore and aft support for the table leg. Another difficulty with folding table designs such as Weagle, is that the folded legs do not provide a uniform surface on which other folded tables may be stacked. Examples of a folding trestle-type table are given in the patents to Burr, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,818,844 and 4,444,124. In these tables, the vertical legs do not overlap each other; however, like the Weagle device, the folded legs double as a stacking surface for other folded tables. Moreover, with the trestle design of these tables, it is difficult to fold the table legs into the tabletop.
The folding tables described in the patents to Johannsen, U.S. Pat. No. 2,075,778 and Holton, U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,735, each include a support brace that is pivotably mounted to a frame connected to the underside of the tabletop. In each of these devices, a guide pivot link is pivotably mounted between the frame and top of the vertical table leg to pull the top of the vertical table leg outward when the leg is moved to its folded orientation. With both of these folding table designs, other tables must be stacked on the table legs rather than a separate support surface. Moreover, each of these devices includes a notch in the support frame into which the guide pivot links engage when the leg is in the open position. Thus, in order to fold the legs, it is first necessary to pull the leg outward in order to disengage the guide pivot from the notch, which makes the operation of these folding table legs more cumbersome. In the HOlton device, the vertical table leg is folded on top of the support brace, which increases the folded thickness of the table. Finally, other than the notch in the support frame, neither of these patents discloses a positive locking feature to hold the vertical table leg in its open position and to prevent the leg from being accidentally folded.
The patent to De Saussure, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,635,172, discloses one method for holding the vertical table leg in its open position. This device includes a leaf spring that presses against a guide pivot link to hold the leg in position. A hand lever is included to provide a mechanical advantage to disengage the guide pivot link from a retaining notch.
With the disadvantages and limitations of the prior art folding table legs in mind, it is one object of the present invention to provide a mechanically simple, yet efficient, folding table leg apparatus. It is another object to provide a device that allows the table legs to be compactly folded while providing a uniform surface on which other tables may be stacked. Still another object is found in an apparatus that is readily adapted for use on a wide variety of tables of several lengths and styles.
Another object of the present invention is to define a folding table leg device that includes a positive locking feature that is not susceptible to accidental release. Yet another object is to provide a device that includes a firmly supported table leg, which support does not diminish due to wear and tolerance variations within the working components of the device. Other benefits and objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying figures.